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Business VoIP Providers

August 15, 2013

Can Hosted VoIP Really Help Improve Customer Service?

By Susan J. Campbell

TMCnet Contributing Editor

Customer service is sometimes a relative phrase as different companies have different standards when it comes to the customer experience. Likewise, different customers may have varying expectations, making one man’s great experience another’s frustrating encounter. Is there a way that technology can help create some semblance of balance?

Business VoIP providers can actually lend a hand, helping companies to improve the customer service experience with the help of hosted VoIP. A recent blog by Voxilla covered the topic, highlighting four ways VoIP can be used to improve the customer experience. Believe it or not, it has a lot to do with the number of times the customer has to interact with the company to achieve resolution.

Did you know that as many as 85 percent of customers will stop doing business with a company if they experience poor customer service? It doesn’t matter if all other interactions are stellar – one bad apple can ruin it all. The bad experience may result from unanswered messages, confusing prompts in the IVR, long wait times in the queue, poor quality on the call or a rude employee.

How does hosted VoIP help make the difference?

A positive experience is had when everything works as it should. This includes call forwarding. If a customer is transferred from one connection to another without resolution or reaching the right destination, frustration ensues. If a virtual contact center system is managed through VoIP technology, customers are quickly directed to the right agent who is best suited to answer the question or resolve the issue. Auto call forwarding helps in the process.

Monitoring tools delivered by business VoIP providers can also help to improve the experience. Management uses recorded calls to provide feedback and training for the agent base. Likewise, whisper and break-in capabilities ensure supervisors can assist on a difficult call, delivering satisfaction in an area where the agent may have been struggling.

Voicemail to email is another great tool that can help improve customer service by ensuring the customer receives an answer in less time than previously possible. When employees are always on the move or are working in a virtual environment, it’s important to that they are still able to stay connected. This feature is a great way to do so.

Finally, hosted VoIP can help to ensure better call quality. Optimal communications free of misunderstandings rely on HD quality. With crystal clear interactions, customers and employees only have to worry about the conversation and not whether or not they can hear each other. Plus, you won’t have to worry about a customer complaining later that they were promised something simply because they didn’t understand the conversation.